Prior to the present invention, adhesives have been employed to permanently secure safety glass in windshield openings and in back and side window openings as provided in the body work in vehicles. In many installations, special permanent glass supports of reinforced nylon or other tough plastics material have been employed as an aid in the initial support in the installation procedures involving stationary glass.
For example in the case of windshield installation, these permanent supports are secured to cowling, or other body components, at points just beneath the windshield opening so that an outwardly extending ledge is provided to contact and support the windshield at spaced locations along the lower peripheral edge thereof. This allows the windshield to be precisely located at a predetermined position so that it can be pressed inwardly to wet out and set the adhesive such as provided by a continuous bead of urethane applied around a previously primed edge of the windshield. Furthermore, the windshield is securely maintained in position by the supports while the adhesive cures and permanently fixes the windshield in a predetermined position. Thus, the adhesive generally isolates the window glass from body vibration such as might be generated by vehicle operation over a rough roadway.
The adhesive further provides a seal between the window opening and the windshield that effectively blocks the entry of wind, water and foreign matter into the interior of the vehicle. After the adhesive cures, the support serves no important function but cannot be readily or conveniently removed.
While permanent window glass mounting supports have met with good success as evidenced by wide spread acceptance and use, generation of objectionable vibration and noise are possible in some installations by a direct transfer of vibrations from the body panel to the window glass through the mounting support. Also, objectionable vibration and noise can be generated and transferred to the glass by indirect transfer through dirt or other foreign matter which collects between the lower edge of the windshield and an outwardly extending ledge of the permanent support. Lateral movements between the support's ledge and the edge of the window glass can transfer vibrations and noise, either directly or indirectly through the foreign matter.